coven

American  

[kuhv-uhn, koh-vuhn] / ˈkʌv ən, ˈkoʊ vən /

noun

1. an assembly of witches, especially a group of thirteen.

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coven British  

/ ˈkʌvən /

noun

1. a meeting of witches

2. a company of 13 witches

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Etymology

Origin of coven

1500–10 for sense “assembly”; 1655–65 for current sense; variant of obsolete covent assembly, religious group, convent

Explanation

A group of witches is called a coven. In books, a coven of witches often gather at night to make potions and cast spells. The mythology of witches has them meeting under cover of night, often in mysterious groups of 13. Although there are only three of them, the "weird sisters" in Shakespeare's play "Macbeth" could be considered a coven. To people who follow the contemporary religion called Wicca, a coven is a gathering, no different from a congregation in Christianity. The word coven arose in the mid-1600s, ultimately from the Latin root conventus, "assembly."

Example Sentences

In 1994, Tori Amos’ U.S. video for her piano anthem “Cornflake Girl” presents a coven of quarreling young women driven through the desert in the back of a pickup truck.

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2026

And she’s currently kind of vying for recognition in both “Agatha All Along,” a kind of unconventional Marvel story about a coven of witches, and also “The Studio,” where she plays a Hollywood marketing executive.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2025

The success of "goth gremlin witch" Bambie Thug at last year's Eurovision has conjured a veritable coven of imitators in 2025.

From BBC • May 9, 2025

"I was accused of organising a coven because I invited three other female solicitors out for lunch," she said.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2025

“No matter what,” Poppy said hurriedly, “we stay friends. No matter what coven we’re in, deal?”

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega